Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-07-06

had got Safely Dack 10 camp, having ouiioie ieo
heavily and abandoned his wounded, many OF
whom had died in the rain, for the night
after the battle was wet.
Then came another long pause, during
which no reliable news reached them, though
the air was thick with rumors, and old Sllas
was made happy by hearing that large re'en-
forcements were OH their way from England.
"Ah, Bessie, my dear, they will soon sing
another tune now," he said, in great glee;
aand what's more, it's about time they did.
/ can't understand what the soldiers have
been about can't indeed"
And so the time wore heavily along till at
last there came dreadful day which Bessie
will never forget as long as she lives 1t was
the 2Oth of February-just a week before the
final disaster at Majaba Hill Bessie was
standing idly Oil the veranda, looking down
the long avenue of blue gums, where the
shadows formed dark network TO catcn inc
wandering rays Of light. The place looked
very peaceful, and certainly no one could
have known from its appearance that
bloody wal, was being waged within lew
miles, The Kaffirs came and went about
their: work as usual, or made pretense to; but
now and then close observer might see them;
stop and look toward the Drakensberg and
then say few words to their neighbor about
the wonderful thing that had come to pass
that the Beers were beating the great white
people, who came out of the sea and shook
the earth with their tread. Whereon the
neighbor would take the opportunity to relax
from toll and squat down and have plnch
of snuff. and relate in what particular collec-
ton of rocks OH the hillside he and his wives
slept the last night, for when the Beers are
out on commando the Kafflrs will not sleep
in their huts for fear of being surprised and
shot down. Then the pair would spend hal1
an hour or so in specializing on what would be
their fate when the Beers had eaten up the
Englishmen and taken back the country, and
finally came to the conclusion that they hao
better emigrate to Natal.
Bessie, OF: the veranda, noted all this going
on, every now and again catching snatches
of the lazy rascals' talk, which chimed In but
too sadly with her own thoughts. Turning
from it impatiently, she began to watch the
hens marching solemnly about the drive, loi-
lowed by their broods. This picture, too,
had sanguinaly background, for under an
orange tree two rival cocks were hghtlng
furiously. They always did this about once
a week, nor did they cease from troubling
till each retired, temporarily blinded, to the
shade of separate orange tree, where tney
spent the rest Of the week in recovering, only
to emerge when the cure was effected and
fight their battles over again. Meanwhile
third cock, young in years but old in wisdom,
who steadily refused to fight when attacked,
looked after the hens in dispute. To-day the
fight was particularly ferocious, and, fearing
that the combatants would have no eyes left
at all if she did not interfere, Bessie called to
the old Boer hound who was lying In the sun
OH the veranda: =,
"Hi, Stomp, Stomp-hunt them, Stomp"
Up Jumped Stomp and made prodlgious
show of furiously attacking the embattled
cocks: it was all operation to which he was
used. and which afforded him constant
amusement. Suddenly, however, as ne
dashed toward the trees he stopped midway,
his simulated wrath ceased, and, instead, an
expression of real disgust came upon his
honest face. Then the hair along his back
bone stood up like the quills upon the fretful
porcupine, and he growled.
"a strange Kaffir, expect" said Bessie to
herself.
Stomp hated strange Kaffirs. She had
scarcely got the words out before they were
justified by the appearance Of native. de
was villainous looking fellow, with one eye,
and nothing on but a pair of ragged trousers
fastened round the waist with greasy
leather strap. In his wool, however, were
stuck several small distended bladders, such
as are generally worn by medicine men and
t., 1off nd ha ho1 q
long stick cleft at the end. In the cleft was
q letter.
"Come here, Stomp" said Bessie, and as
she did so u wild hope shot across her heart
like meteor across the night; perhaps the
letter Was from John.
The COG obeyed her unwillingy enough,
for he evidently did not like that Kaffir; and
when he saw that Stomp was we'll out OF the
way the KufIir himself followed. He was
all insolent fellow, and took no notice of Bes-
sic beyond squatting himself down upon the
drive in front of her.
"What is it," said Bessie, in Dutch, her lips
trembling as she spoke.
"a letter." answered the man.
"Give it to me-"
mo, missile, not till I have looked at you to
see if it is right Light yellow hair that
curs-one," checking it on his fingers, "yes,
that is right; large blue eyes-two, that is
right; big and tall, and fair as star-yes.
the letter is for you, take it," and he poked
the long stick up almost into her face.
"Where is it froml" asked Bessie, with sud-
den suspicion, recoiling step.
"Wakkerstroom last"
"Who is it fromY'
"Read it, and you will see."
Bessie took the letter, which was wrapped
up in a piece Of old newspaper, from the cleft
of the stick and turned it over and over
doubtfully Most of US have nistrust of
strange looking letters, and this letter was
unusually strange. To begin with, it had no
address whatever on the dirty envelope,
which was curious. In the second place, the
envelope was sealed apparently with u three
penny bit.
"Are you sure it is for me" asked Bessie.
"Yah, yah-sure, sure" answered the ma
tive, with rude laugh. "There are not many
such white girls In the Transvaal I have
made no mistake. have 'smelt you out.'r
And he began to 60 through his catalogue
"Yellow hair that curls," etc.-again.
Then Bessie opened the letter. Inside was
an ordinary sheet of paper written over in
bold, firm. yet slightly Impractical writing
that Bessie knew well enough, and the sight
of which filed her with a presentiment Of
evil. 1t was Frank Mullers.
She turned sick and cold, but could not
choose, and read as follows:
"CAMP NEAR PRETORIA, Feb. Is.
"DEAR Miss BEssIE-I an sorry to have
to write to you; but though We have quar-
relied lately, and also your good uncle, I
think it my duty to do so, and send this to
your hand by special runner. Yesterday
was sorie made by the poor folk in Pre-
toria, who are now as thin with hunger as the
high veldt oxen just before spring. Our arms
were again victorious; the redcoats ran away
and left their ambulance in our hands, carry
ing with them many dead and wounded.
Among the dead was the Capt. Niel"-
Here Bessie gave sort of choked cry, and
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